Gyokeres at the Crossroads: Why the Rp1.2 Trillion Striker Must Leave Arsenal Soon
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- Viktor Gyokeres menghadapi dilema besar di Arsenal setelah kembali gagal mencatatkan satu pun tembakan dalam laga Liga Champions melawan Lille.
- Gaya main Arteta yang sabar dan terstruktur tidak cocok dengan karakter Gyokeres yang mengandalkan kecepatan dan umpan terobosan.
- Dengan Arsenal dikabarkan terus memburu striker baru, Gyokeres disarankan segera mengajukan permintaan transfer pada Januari.
Viktor Gyokeres is back in the spotlight after Arsenal faced Lille in the Champions League. The Swedish striker was withdrawn in the 60th minute without registering a single shot on goal. He recorded only 12 touches of the ball throughout the match, a figure that underlines how isolated he is in Mikel Arteta's playing scheme.
The sight is nothing new. Previously, when trusted to start against Napoli on the opening matchday of the Champions League, Gyokeres also finished the game without a single shot. Two different appearances, one same pattern: the striker worth 63 million pounds (around Rp1.2 trillion) is like a fish forced to live on land.
Arsenal brought Gyokeres in from Sporting CP in the summer of 2025 with high expectations. He was regarded as the elite center-forward the club had been looking for to take them up a level. Last season, he was indeed the club's top scorer with 21 goals in all competitions, while also ending Arsenal's two-decade wait for a Premier League title. However, this season criticism of him has intensified again.
Interestingly, Gyokeres' situation is reminiscent of Olivier Giroud, who returned to the Emirates Stadium this week as a Lille player. Giroud, who played for Arsenal from 2012 to 2018, was also often considered unsuited to the team's playing style. The difference is that Giroud lived in the era of Arsene Wenger, who championed free-flowing attacking football. Gyokeres, by contrast, is trapped in Arteta's system, which is more structured, patient, and at times monotonous.
In an interview with Football FanCast, a tactical observer assessed that Gyokeres is a striker who depends on through balls and chaos in the opponent's back line. He needs space to run into, not slow short passes. Meanwhile, Arsenal under Arteta more often build attacks slowly, wait for gaps, and prioritize possession. This mismatch makes Gyokeres often look like a foreign player in his own home.
"Gyokeres feeds on chaos; he feeds on balls in behind. Arsenal doesn't play that way anymore," said an analyst who follows the development of Arsenal's tactics.
Compared with Kai Havertz, Gyokeres does have similarities in terms of physique and ability to hold up the ball. However, Havertz is more flexible in his movement and in participating in the build-up. Gyokeres is more limited to the role of a classic target man who waits for supply. That is why he is often regarded as a 'modern Giroud' — a striker born in the wrong era.
With Arsenal reportedly still looking for a new striker, Gyokeres' future in North London is increasingly uncertain. The management reportedly made a bid for Julian Alvarez last summer, a signal that they are not entirely satisfied with the forward line. If that is true, Gyokeres should not wait too long. January could be the right moment to find a club that truly wants him.
For Gyokeres, staying at Arsenal means continuing to struggle against the current. He has already tasted a Premier League title and a Champions League final, but personal happiness still seems far away. The decision to leave is not a betrayal, but a logical step to save his career and his reputation as one of the sharpest strikers in Europe.
The question is, will Arsenal let him go at a fair price? Or will they keep him as a backup and hope he can adapt? One thing is certain, this unhappy relationship cannot be forced to last forever.
